Suction cleaning apparatus



March 10, 1942. c. H. 'I 'AYLOR SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUS Filed July2'7, 1940 INVENTOR CHARLES H. TAYLOR.

BY I! ATTO EY Patented Mar. 10, 1942 aerate: SUCTION CLEANING APPARATUSCharles B. Taylor, Smell, Mala, a-lgnor to Westinghouse Electric &Manufacturing Company, Eat Plttsburgh, Pa., a corporation PennsylApplication July 27, 1940, Serlal N0. 34$,I05

6 Claims. My invention relates to suction cleaning apparatus and has foran object to provide improved cord storing means for apparatus of thiskind.

A further object is to provide means whereby the cord may be moreconveniently reeled on the handle for storage than heretofore.

A further object is to provide an arrangement for insuring that all ofthe loops will be the proper length when the cord is reeled on thehandle for storage.

A more specific object is to provide a cord having clips thereon inspaced relation for supporting the cord when reeled on the handle forstorage, and for insuring that all the loops of the cord will be theproper length.

The above and further objects are effected by my invention as will beapparent from the following description and claims taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, inwhich:

Fig. l is a side elevation of a suction cleaner embodying my inventionshowing the'cord reeled on the upwardly-facing hook;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the cord loops of Fig. 1 being placedbehind the downwardlyfacing cord hook;

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the cord loops of Fig. 1 after theyhave been placed behind the downwardly-facing cord hook;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail view of the cord per se, showing the clipsspaced thereon;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view taken on line V-V of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the cleaner handle showing thecord reeled on the upwardly-facing cord hook.

Referring to the drawing in detail, I show a motor-driven suctioncleaner II, which may be of any conventional type. Fastened to thecleaner lllis a dust bag l3 which catches and holds the dirt taken up bythe cleaner, and a handle l4 which affords a means for moving thecleaner over the surface to. be cleaned. The inlet to the dust bag 13 isconnected to the discharge of the cleaner fan chamber and the upper endis fastened to the upper end of the handle l4. A cord I6 having a plugI1 is provided for connecting the cleaner motor to a suitable source ofpower. The cord passes from the cleaner motor up through the handle andextends therefrom at II a suificient length to permit the cleaner to bemoved over the surface to be cleaned when the plug I1 is connected to asuitable source of power, such as a wall receptacle.

The handle l4, which is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 in its upperoperating position, is provided with an upwardly-facing cord book 20 anda downwardly-facing cord hook 2|. The cord it is reeled 0n the hooks 20and 2| for storage.

The cord 'II is provided with a plurality of clips 24 which are equallyspaced along its length. The distance between adjacent clips is lessthan twice the distance from the seat 22 of the upwardly-tacing cordhook to the surface upon which the cleaner rests when the handle is inany position within its normal upper operating range or its storageposition which is nearly vertical, but slightly greater than twice thedistance between the seat 22 of the upwardly-facing hook 2| and thelower end 23 of the downwardlyiacing hook 2|.

The clips 24 are made of a single strand of wire and are fixedlyattached to the cord It by wrapping their ends around the cord 18. Eachclip includes a main body portion 25, legs 26, and end portions 21. Theend portions 21 extend towards each other and terminate close to thelegs 28 and directly under the main body portion 25 of the clips 24 asshown in Figs. 4 and 5. Consequently the legs 26 and main body portionserve as a guard to prevent the ends 21 from snagging the clothes of theoperator of the cleaner or other objects which they might contact. Ihave shown and described the clips 24 as being made of wire; however, itwill be understood that they may be made of any suitable material suchas plastics, or some material that may be molded onto the cord l6.

When it is desired to reel the cord 16 on the cord hooks" and 2| forstorage, the clips" 24 are placed over the upwardly-facing cord hook 20as shown in Figs. 1 and 6, and the cord It will be formed intoelliptical loops 30 which will hang vertically from the upwardly-facingcord hook. The loops ll will all be the same length due to the fact thatthe clips 24 are equally spaced on the cord I. The cleaner may betemporarily stored or wheeled from room to room with the cord in thisposition and the cord will not drag on the floor or become tangledwiththe operator's 'feet, because the clips are spaced on the cord less thantwice the distance from the seat 22 of the upwardly-facing cord hook 20to the surface upon which the cleaner rests when the handle is in anupper operating or storage position. Accordingly, when the handle is inthe position shown in Fig. 1, the loops 20 will not touch the floor. Thecleaner may be stored or wheeled from room to room with the cord in thisposition, 1

but if it is desired to place the loops ll behind the downwardly-facinghook 2i this may be readily done by flatting the loops ll, as in Fig. 2and placing them over end 23 of the downwardlyfacing cord hook 2|. Whenflattened as shown in Fig. 2, the loops 80 may be readily placed behindthe hook 2| due to the fact that the clips 24 are spaced on the cord Ita distance which is slightly greater that the distance between the seat21 of hook and the end 23 of hook II. All of the loops may be placedbehind the hook 20 at one time. However, if it is desired, they may beplaced behind the hook I. one at a time. After the loops have beenplaced behind the hook 2i they will again assume a more ellipticalshape, as shown in Fig. 3, due to the resiliency of the cord 18.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the operator may stand in avertical position and very quickly properly reel the cord on the upperfacing cord hook with very little eflort. The equal spacing of the clips24 assures that all of the loops will be the proper length and will notdrag upon the floor, and eliminates-the necessity of the operator havingto carefully determine the proper length of each loop. They alsoeliminate the necessity of the operator having to bend over to placeeach loop behind the downwardlyfacing cord book, as has been necessarywith all previous cord-reeling arrangements. With a cord equipped withclips 24 it is not necessary to place the cord loops ll behind thedownwardly-facing hook, but if it is desired, all of them may be placedbehind the downwardly-facing hook at one time rather than one at a timeas was necessary with previous reeling arrangements.

when it is desired to remove the cord from the hooks 20 and ii, theloops II are flattened, as shown in Fig. 2, and removed from behind thehook 2|. The loops are then removed from the upwardly-facing hook 20 bylifting them upwardly far enough to remove the clips 24 from the hook.All of the loops may be removed (mm the hook 20 at one time or one ormore may be removed, as found desirable. If the cleaner is used near asource of power and the entire cord 7 length is not required, one .ormore of the loops as may be required to give a suiiicient cord lengthmay be removed, see Fig. 1, and the cleaner may be moved over thesurface to be cleaned without tangling the' loops remaining on the hookII. Accordingly, if it is desired to use the cleaner near a source ofpower with the handle in its lowest position, the loops not required togive a suillcient cord length may be left behind the downwardly-facingcord hook II and they will not become tangled or'drag on the floor.

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided anarrangement whereby the cord of a suction cleaner may be moreconveniently reeled on and of! the handle than heretofore.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious tothose skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptibleof various changes and modifications without bination of an electriccord for connecting the motor of said cleaner to a source of power, anda handle having a cord hook thereon, said cord having a plurality ofclips non-slidably attached thereto in spaced relation, said clips beingadapted to be placed over said cord hook for supporting said cord loopedon said cord hook.

2. In a motor-driven suction cleaner, the combination of an electriccord for connecting the motor of said cleaner to a source of power, anda handle for moving said cleaner over the surface to be cleaned, saidcord having a plurality of clips equally spaced thereon and fixedlyattached thereto and adapted to be supported by a portion of said handlefor supporting said cord looped on said handle.

3. In a motor-driven suction cleaner, the combination of a handle havinga cord hook thereon, and an electric cord for connecting the motor ofsaid cleaner to a source of power, said cord having a plurality ofdevices attached thereon in spaced relation for supporting said cord onsaid cord hook, said devices being spaced on said cord a distance lessthan twice the distance from said cord hook to the surface on which thecleaner rests when the handle is in an upper position.

4. In an electrically driven device, the combination of a handle, saidhandle having an upwardly-facing hook on itsupper portion and adownwardly-facing hook on its lower portion, an electric cord forconnecting said device to a source of power. said cord having aplurality of devices attached thereon in spaced relation and adapted tobe placed over said upper hook to reel said cord on said hook, saiddevices being spaced a distance less than twice the distance from saidupwardly-facing hook to the surface on which the cleaner rests when thehandle is in an upper position but greater than twice the distance fromthe seat of the upwardly-facing hook to the downwardly-facing hook.

5. In a motor-driven suction cleaner, the com- 7 bination of a handle,an electric cord for condeparting from the spirit thereof, and I desire.

1. In a motor-driven suction cleaner, the comnecting said cleaner motorto a source of power, and a plurality of equally-spaced clips attachedto said cord for supporting said cord looped on said handle, said clipsbeing so spaced that the lower ends of the loops will not contact thesurface on which the cleaner rests when the handle is in an upperposition, said clips including a main body portion and leg portions,said clips having their leg portions extending around said cord andterminating adjacent said legs and under said main body portion of saidclip, said legs and main body portion of said clips thereby forming aguard for said ends.

6. In an electrically-driven device, the combination of a handle, saidhandle having an upwardly-facing hook on its upper portion and adownwardly-facing hook on its lower portion,

an electric cord for connecting said device to.

source of power, said cord having a plurality of clips attached thereonin spaced relation and adapted to be placed over said upper hook to reelsaid cord on said hook, said clips being spaced on said cord a distancegreater than twice the distance from the seat of the upwardlyfacing hookto the downwardly-facing hook and fixedly attached thereto.

CHARLES H. TAYIDR.

